


untitled | marvel

by parisique



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Character Death, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes Needs a Hug, Parent Frigga (Marvel), Pepper Potts Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, basically what I think the afterlife was like for each of them, everyone needs a hug after what happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23235427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parisique/pseuds/parisique
Summary: Goodbye is not forever,Goodbye is not the end.It simply means I'll miss you,Until we meet again.
Kudos: 4





	1. you could run forever

**Author's Note:**

> hi, thanks for reading! I hope this won't make you tear up too much. comments and constructive crit are always welcome :)

_"Well, for one thing, I'm not Asgardian."_

_Allfathers, tell me what to do. Show me the way._

_He raised the cube in the air, as if it might provide the answer he so desperately sought. What was to say it didn't? After all, it had led him here. To his brother. To his people. To happiness._

_Loki gazed into the depths of the glowing Tesseract. He could hear the faint sounds of dying Asgardians, could sense the anticipation of the lieutenants around him - though not his own, wish as he might. He could feel the eyes of the Mad Titan, fixated on the Space stone. Fixated on the Tessseract._

_Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but the Tesseract seemed to glow brighter for a moment. At it's core, Loki thought he could make out shapes. A face - his mother's. Her warm smile. A beckoning hand. Behind her, a rolling field - Fólkvangr.  
_

_The vision faded as quickly as it had appeared, and Loki was left with only his reflection, his fearful eyes staring back at him, and behind him -  
_

_"And second, we have a Hulk."_

The next moments passed in a blur. Loki felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He was running on adrenaline at this point. Until, all of a sudden, he wasn't. _  
_

He felt his airways choke up, saw his anguished face in the eyes of the Mad Titan, and then -

"Loki?"

His mother was bent over him, clear and sunny skies behind her. She leaned back as he sat up. He would have asked where he was, but he already knew - Fólkvangr, Frigga's paradise.

Ahead of him, fields rolled on for miles. To his left, the grass gave way to woods, as mountains rose tall to the right. And next to him was his -

"Mother." 

She smiled at him and opened her arms. He fell into them - he had missed this. He hugged her back, as tight as he could. Frigga stroked his hair, like she used to do when he was younger and had climbed into her bed after a nightmare. It was then that he realised his cheeks were wet.

"Rest, my child. You're safe here, until they need you again."

He didn't need to ask what she was talking about. He followed her lead as she rose.

"Come, Loki, the others are waiting for you."

Loki looked back over his shoulder as Frigga led him towards a village at the base of the mountains. Someday, he would return. His story was not yet complete, that much he could tell. And besides, be it in wartime or peacetime, mischief and laughter and humor were always present. But until then, the God of Mischief was content to rest with his mother until he was needed again.


	2. blink and you'll miss it

_Gamora let out a laugh - bitter, scornful, mocking._

_**blink** _

_She lifted her gaze to meet Thanos'.  
_

**_blink_ **

_"No."_

**_blink_ **

_"Really," sarcasm dripped from her words, "tears?"  
"They're not for him," Red Skull hissed._

**_blink_ ** _  
_

_Thanos' face collapsed as she felt a chill run down her spine._

**_blink_ **

_"No."_

**_blink_ ** _  
_

_She felt it as it happened - or rather, she didn't. Her hands unfolded to show what she already knew. The metal was gone._

**_blink_ ** _  
_

_"I'm sorry, little one."_

**_blink_ ** _  
_

_Her weight flew forward._

**_blink_ ** _  
_

_Arms around her. Lips on hers. Cool metal pressed into her hands._

**_blinkblink_ ** **_blink_ ** _  
_

_"Dad-"_

**_blink_ **

Gamora woke up in liquid.

She was lying on her back in a shallow pool. An ominous orange glow came from somewhere, yet everywhere at the same time.

She sat up. She knew where she was - she remembered what had happened. She was inside the Soul Stone.

She got up, the liquid falling off her like it had never been there. The space around her stretched on for forever. She let loose a scream. The space swallowed it.

Gamora sighed and sat down. She was trapped here, now. All she could do was sit and hope - not for escape, for she knew it would never come. She only wished that Peter and the others found a way to stop Thanos, save the world, and be happy.

And lastly, she hoped, selfishly, that she would not be forgotten.

If she was lucky, perhaps a star was shooting through the sky in that exact moment. And if not?

Well, she would never know.


	3. the life and times

_It had been a long time coming._

_As they made their way up the strange terrain, Natasha was grateful to have Clint there with her. Grateful for this mission - this job, this family. This minute.  
_

_This second chance._

_It was their only one, the only do-over they got. And this time, she would make sure they did it right - make sure she did it right, "whatever it takes."_

_"Welcome." She and Clint drew their weapons and turned. It was time._

_"Wait -."_

_As Clint tried to figure a way out, a way to give her hope, Nat turned to look at the bottom of the pit._

_It had been nice, these past few years. She had found a place for herself, one where she belonged. She'd helped make the world a better place, and in doing so, the world had helped make her a better person. She turned to look back up at Clint. He had looked past her mistakes to see her potential. He'd saved her, and now, it was time she return the favor._

_"Let me go."_

_He looked at her, gripping her arm tighter. "No." He shook his head - he knew the look in her eyes. "No, please, no," he murmured._

_Nat nodded at him. "It's okay."_

_His face crumpled as he choked out a plea._

_But her mind had been made up already. Clint swiped at empty air as Natasha launched herself backwards._

The fall was smooth. She made it that way, like she'd been trained. Pointed toes. Arms tucked in. Breath in before impact. Close your eyes if you have to. 

It was the first time she had to.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back in a shallow pool of liquid. Through her closed eyelids, she sensed a faint orange glow coming from no particular source. Natasha opened her eyes.

The space around her seemed to stretch on forever. A thin layer of water covered the ground, though it slipped off of her without a trace as she sat up. Nearby, a figure was sitting on the ground, turning to stare at her.

"... Who are you?" The person asked warily.

"Natasha Romanoff, and you must be Nebula's sister, Gamora." Nat got up and walked over, offering Gamora her hand.

Gamora shook it. "How - what - what are you doing here?"

And so Nat sat and told Gamora what had happened since her death - about Thanos' victory, his death, the five years, the heist.

At the end of it all, Gamora turned to her questioningly. "So, we won?"

Nat smiled into the nothingness. "Yes." Right? "Yes, we won."


	4. your greatest hits

_They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die. You retain brain activity for seven minutes afterwards, and in that seven minutes, you relive your entire life._

_Tony wasn't sure if he believed that. In fact, he wasn't really sure what he believed anymore._

_He lay on the ground, the battle dying out around him. At this point, he was used to the pain. Some feet away, Thanos was grinning his evil grin and snapping his fingers._

_At the clink of cold metal, Tony lifted himself into a sitting position. Thanos turned to look at him, wanting an explanation_

_They always wanted an explanation, and they always wanted it from him. He always delivered._

_Tony raised his hand to show Thanos the Stones as their power coursed through him._

_But he had never let the pain stop him before. And he certainly wasn't about to start now._

_"And I ..."_

_Tony breathed in as waves of energy raced through his veins._

_"... am ..."_

_It was reaching for the center of his brain, now. He prepared to let it go, to let the Stones and their energy flow through him, become a part of him._

_"... Iron Man."_

_His fingers moved together as the power surged through him. He took a hold of it, the feeling familiar - pain, so much pain. But worth it, for them. He controlled it and focused on one thing and one thing only._

**Saving them.**

_A blinding flash of white light later, it was done. Tony felt the Stones retracting their energy, and taking some of his, to recharge. He didn't bother looking to see what had become of Thanos as he made his way over to a piece of nearby rubble._

_He collapsed against it, letting the pain finally catch up to him._

_Tony looked up as Rhodey landed besides him, metal suit clanking. The two friends exchanged a glance as Rhodey held Tony's head up. They nodded at each other - no need for words._

_Rhodey moved aside as Peter swung in. He rushed up to Tony, his breaths coming fast and short. "Hey," he said, gripping the top of Tony's suit, "Mr. Stark ... can you hear me? It's Peter." It took Tony a second, but the name ... he recognised that name. Would recognise it anywhere. As their eyes met, Peter's breathing slowed down a little. "We won, Mr. Stark," Peter said, his voice trembling. "We won, Mr. Stark." The boy pressed his lips together for a second, "We won, you did it, sir, you did it." It was like he was trying to reassure himself as he clung to his mentor, his eyes shining with tears. "I'm sorry, Tony." Peter's words were wet, raw. Pepper helped the boy to stand as tears traced their way down his cheeks._

_Pepper moved forward and knelt in front of Tony, placing her hand on his heart. "Hey," she said._

_"Hey, Pep," he responded, moving his hand over hers._

_"F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" Pepper scanned her husband's face as the AI responded, "Life functions critical."_

_Tony turned to her and braved a smile. He was glad she was here - his partner, wife, mother of their child, his rock through life. She smiled back, and it felt like home._

_"Tony," Pepper said as he turned to look at Peter again._

_Rhodey had his hand on Peter's shoulder as the young boy stared at his mentor. "Kid," Tony called out, his voice but a whisper. Peter smiled at him through his tears._

_"Look at me," Pepper said, and Tony turned to face her again._

_She was still smiling that smile of hers - brilliant, and warm, and as loving and comforting as ever. "We're gonna be okay," Pepper told him. "We're gonna be okay."_

_Tony let his head fall to one side. Pepper was right._

_"You can rest now."_

_He could feel her smooth his hair back. Could feel her presence, and the smell of her shampoo - something subtly floral, and almonds._

_He was so tired._

"Tony Stark!"

The voice was deep, a bit scratchy, and very excited. "I've been waiting for you!"

Tony would have loved to see who the voice belonged to. Actually, he would have loved to see anything, because right now all he could see was utter, complete darkness. He decided to open his eyes.

If heaven existed, Tony thought it might look something like this. He was surrounded by foggy, misty, clouds. It came to him that he was in a sitting position, and as soon as the thought formed, he found himself sitting on a couch.

It was a familiar couch - he had sat in it many times. And Tony didn't mind that heaven looked a lot like his living room. For the most part, everything looked the same - everything, except for the man seated on his armchair.

"Um, who are you?" Tony asked him.

The man was a bit smaller than him in stature, but his presence made him feel larger than life. He was wearing a light green sweater over a crisp white button-up shirt, and tinted aviator glasses. His hair was fading slightly, and his moustache was a shocking white caterpillar over his bright smile. 

"Oh, I'm sure we haven't met before," the man said.

"... Are you God?" Tony asked, and the man burst into laughter.

"No, I'm not God," the man reassured. "You can call me Stan Lee. Now, I'm afraid we don't have much time."

Tony frowned, confused. The man - Stan Lee - got up and walked over to Tony. Stan gave him a hug, and Tony slowly reached up to hug him back.

Though he was a stranger, Stan's hug felt like home. It felt like Tony was hugging his father. Not his cold, stiff father, but his warm, real father. It felt nice.

"I'm proud of you, Tony," Stan said, and Tony breathed back tears.

Eventually, they let go of each other, and Tony stood up.

"Go on," Stan told him, gesturing towards the back door, "They're waiting for you."

"Are you going to be coming with me?" Tony asked him.

"No. This is your happily ever after, I've got my own feature film to get back to." Stan smiled at him, and Tony nodded, reaching for the door.

"Hey!" Stan called, and Tony turned back around. "Remember - Excelsior!"

"Excelsior," Tony repeated, not knowing completely what it meant. "And - thank you." Tony didn't know exactly why, but something told him that he owed this man everything.

Stan simply chuckled and waved him off. Tony turned and took a breath before he opened the door.


End file.
